From Illinois Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse”
Federal Judge Allows Novel Civil Racketeering Case Against Alton Asbestos Law Firm to Proceed
CHICAGO, IL — A federal judge in Chicago ruled November 6 that JM Eagle can proceed with three civil racketeering claims against Simmons Hanly Conroy, an asbestos law firm headquartered in Alton, Illinois.
The claims will also proceed against Sokolove Law and several named attorneys and staff.
The case is one of two Illinois lawsuits highlighted in an October report by the American Tort Reform Foundation on alleged litigation fraud.
JM Eagle alleges that the defendants used false accounts of asbestos exposure and concealed claims submitted to asbestos bankruptcy trusts to obtain settlements from the company. U.S. District Judge Robert W. Gettleman found that the amended complaint adequately pleaded the federal racketeering claims. The allegations remain unproven. The judge dismissed three state law counts without prejudice and directed the defendants to answer the surviving claims by December 7.
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In October, we said these allegations should be tested against the evidence,” said Phil Melin, executive director of Illinois Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse.
“This ruling moves the case closer to that test.
“When a company alleges that lawyers used false testimony to obtain settlements in asbestos cases, the public has a stake in finding out what happened.
“So do the people who bring legitimate claims and rely on the courts to hear them fairly.”
The American Tort Reform Foundation report identified 25 civil racketeering cases filed between January 2024 and July 2026 that allege fraudulent litigation schemes and name attorneys, law firms or litigation funders as defendants.
It also highlighted a separate lawsuit JM Eagle filed against The Gori Law Firm in the Southern District of Illinois. The November 6 ruling concerns the Simmons Hanly Conroy case.
Read the court’s November 6 opinion and order
Read the American Tort Reform Foundation report
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Illinois Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (IL CALA) -is a statewide grassroots organization dedicated to promoting fairness and balance in Illinois’ civil justice system while protecting consumers, workers, small businesses, and taxpayers from the harmful effects of lawsuit abuse.
